As I write I am flying over the Rocky Mountains. I just left Calgary, where I worked on a modular substation for Shell Canada, and I am feeling inspired. It is 9:30 PM mountain time and the sun is casting silhouettes throughout the mountain ranges and valleys below. I have not written down my thoughts in this manner since Alayna’s and my trip to Mexico this winter. Now that I am back to work I feel that if I wish to keep tabs on my personal development and career goals this will be a useful tool. The trip though Mexico gave me practice with this process, it was a good way to spend some of our many hours.
The amount of work currently happening in Calgary is astounding. The industrial sector on the east side of the city is running at an exhausting pace. Trucks, and a lot of them, are transporting materials, men, equipment, and products from place to place, most of which is destined for the oil sands in Fort McMurray. Calgary started constructing buildings of all kinds to be sent up to the oil patch because the market in Edmonton could not keep up to the pace of development. It is an amazing sight for someone accustomed to Victoria.
Although I am not a supporter of the development happening in the oil sands I must pay my bills and therefore I willingly except the responsibility of being part of this relentless “machine”; a necessary evil. Now as I head back to the Victoria I pull up a PDF (paperless) copy of the publication Winning the Oil End Game (WOEG). The US Pentagon sponsored the paper. Written by top energy scientists and experts it is a guide for getting our economy off oil. It is a peer-reviewed publication and is free to download.
Website: www.winningtheoilendgame.com
Video: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/51
I am passionate about the need for the world’s economies to drastically reduce, or even better completely eliminate the need for oil as a source of energy. The cost of a barrel of oil has more than doubled within a year, as we all know. As sources of oil become scarcer, more difficult to extract, more dangerous to secure and ultimately more expensive to supply, societies of the world will be forced to adapt like never before in history.
I find it astounding the majority of the population is not aware that there are a tremendous number of opportunities to reduce the need for energy in all forms. On any level, in every capacity, with any industry there are technologies, which are available today, and make economic sense, that have not been widely implemented. The main reason for this procrastination has likely been the fact that it is just too easy and cheap up front to do nothing; something to do with quarterly reports? No doubt, the ignorance of people who have the ability to implement such technologies has hindered development in this area.
Just a couple of technologies worth installing right now:
• Waterless urinals
• Solar assisted hot water
• Solar thermal collection
• Heat pumps
• High efficiency street lighting
• Variable speed drives for motors
The development of these markets may prove to be one of the largest humanitarian efforts in history. I truly feel that our energy policies are humanitarian in nature. For interesting information on the development of immature markets read up on the William J. Clinton Foundation.
There are a multitude of opportunities available. An enormous market is in the midst of being realized, finally. Our future depends on our ability to adapt to the current energy crisis. It truly is an energy crisis. If we are not passionate, aware, attentive, and willing we will suffer in the long run. The only thing left is to make the majority of the population conscious of this problem and aware of the opportunities.
We are making our final descent into Victoria. I am excited for the future, however, am concerned that we will do too little too late. Thus concludes my first blog entry!
The amount of work currently happening in Calgary is astounding. The industrial sector on the east side of the city is running at an exhausting pace. Trucks, and a lot of them, are transporting materials, men, equipment, and products from place to place, most of which is destined for the oil sands in Fort McMurray. Calgary started constructing buildings of all kinds to be sent up to the oil patch because the market in Edmonton could not keep up to the pace of development. It is an amazing sight for someone accustomed to Victoria.
Although I am not a supporter of the development happening in the oil sands I must pay my bills and therefore I willingly except the responsibility of being part of this relentless “machine”; a necessary evil. Now as I head back to the Victoria I pull up a PDF (paperless) copy of the publication Winning the Oil End Game (WOEG). The US Pentagon sponsored the paper. Written by top energy scientists and experts it is a guide for getting our economy off oil. It is a peer-reviewed publication and is free to download.
Website: www.winningtheoilendgame.com
Video: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/51
I am passionate about the need for the world’s economies to drastically reduce, or even better completely eliminate the need for oil as a source of energy. The cost of a barrel of oil has more than doubled within a year, as we all know. As sources of oil become scarcer, more difficult to extract, more dangerous to secure and ultimately more expensive to supply, societies of the world will be forced to adapt like never before in history.
I find it astounding the majority of the population is not aware that there are a tremendous number of opportunities to reduce the need for energy in all forms. On any level, in every capacity, with any industry there are technologies, which are available today, and make economic sense, that have not been widely implemented. The main reason for this procrastination has likely been the fact that it is just too easy and cheap up front to do nothing; something to do with quarterly reports? No doubt, the ignorance of people who have the ability to implement such technologies has hindered development in this area.
Speaking at a round table external on the role of public support for environmental protection on Tuesday (27 May), Andrea Benassi, UEAPME's secretary general, said "increasing awareness of energy saving opportunities must be the first step of a successful strategy" to reduce energy consumption". However, "this will not happen without public support," he stressed. Source.
• Waterless urinals
• Solar assisted hot water
• Solar thermal collection
• Heat pumps
• High efficiency street lighting
• Variable speed drives for motors
The development of these markets may prove to be one of the largest humanitarian efforts in history. I truly feel that our energy policies are humanitarian in nature. For interesting information on the development of immature markets read up on the William J. Clinton Foundation.
There are a multitude of opportunities available. An enormous market is in the midst of being realized, finally. Our future depends on our ability to adapt to the current energy crisis. It truly is an energy crisis. If we are not passionate, aware, attentive, and willing we will suffer in the long run. The only thing left is to make the majority of the population conscious of this problem and aware of the opportunities.
We are making our final descent into Victoria. I am excited for the future, however, am concerned that we will do too little too late. Thus concludes my first blog entry!
☺
No comments:
Post a Comment